Orthopedic cane



W. J- KURPIS ORTHOPEDIC CANE Jan. 16, 1968 Filed March 1, 1966 .f/QW/fiIZZW Waffz'am/cffiflz ds 03 who United States Patent 3,363,639 ORTHOPEDIC CANE William J. Knrpis, 4342 S. Paulina St., Chicago, Ill. 60613 Filed Mar. 1, 1966, Ser. No. 530,877 1 Claim. (Cl. 135-47) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An orthopedic cane having a handle which extends upwardly and rearwardly of the stick, with an opening in the handle in line with the longitudinal axis of the stick to accommodate the forefinger of a persons hand.

This invention relates to an orthopedic cane.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an orthopedic walking cane which will provide adequate support to a person who needs aid in walking.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cane with a handle which is provided with an opening for the forefinger, which opening is in line with the center of gravity so that the persons :body is properly supported on the cane to facilitate Walking with the elimination of fatigue and strain which would normally occur.

Another object of this invention is to provide a handle which may be attached and/ or secured to a stick to form a cane and is provided with an opening which coincides with the longitudinal axis of the stick, which opening accommodates the forefinger of the persons hand, with the handle extending upwardly and rearwardly of said opening and said handle being engageable by the hand in such a manner as to adequately support the persons body in standing position and in walking, to the extent that it would be supported if crutches were used. The elimination of the use of crutches and the elimination of fatigue and strain are the benefits derived from the use of the present invention.

Some people, due to some physical infirmity, need assistance in walking and rely largely upon the use of crutches which are positioned under the arm or arms to aid in standing, walking, or locomotion. There are numerous objections to the use of crutches and their use is resorted to as a last recourse. With the present invention the cane may he used in lieu of such crutch or crutches and it provides the necessary support for walking. The cane, and particularly the handle portion, is sulficiently attractive so that in addition to its serving as an orthopedic walking cane it may be used wherever conventional canes are used without giving the appearance that it serves an orthopedic purpose.

Other objects will become apparent as this description progresses.

Brief summary of the invention The invention comprises an orthopedic cane formed of a stick and a handle secured to the top thereof, the handle forming the top and uppermost portion of the cane and extending upwardly and rearwardly of the stick to be engaged by a persons hand so that the weight rests on the rearwardly extending portion of the handle. The upwardly extending portion of the handle is provided with an opening which is in line with the longitudinal axis of the stick to accommodate the forefinger of the persons hand.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the handle portion of the cane.

3,363,639 Patented Jan. 16, 1968 FIGURE 2 is a view partly in section of the orthopedic cane, and showing in dotted lines the manner whereby same is engaged by a persons hand, and

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of the handle portion.

The cane forming this invention is formed essentially of two members. The member 10 is a stick or rod which is generally similar to conventional walking canes. The other member is the handle, generally indicated at 12, which is attached to the cane or stick.

The handle 12 comprises a forwardly and downwardly extending portion 14 and a rearwardly extending portion 16 which is substantially at right angles to the forwardly and downwardly extending portion 14. The forwardly and downwardly extending portion 14 is the vertical portion of the handle and the rearwardly extending portion 16 the horizontal portion of the handle. The lowermost part of the forwardly and downwardly extending portion 14 is provided with a bore 18 which accommodates the upper end of the stick 10 and to which said handle is fixedly secured. The upper end of the stick has a reduced end 20 which fits within the bore 18. An adhesive or other bond ing element is used inside said bore to firmly attach said handle thereto.

The stick 10 is preferably formed of wood, although it may be made out of any other rigid material, and is generally tapered, similar to the conventional walking sticks. The forwardly and downwardly extending portion 14 above the bore is provided with an enlarged generally oval-shaped opening 22. The rearwardly extending portion 16 of the handle has a shape generally similar to the handle end of a pistol. It has a curvature on the underside 24 to accommodate the three fingers of a persons hand. The rear end of the underside 24 has a gradual outward flare 26. The upper surface 28 has an outward flare 30 at the outer end thereof.

When a persons hand grips the handle the position of the hand is as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2. The palm of the hand engages the top 28 of the handle with the three rear fingers wrapped around the underside 24 in a gripping position. The forefinger passes through the opening 22 with the forward end of the forefinger turned upwardly. The thumb rests on the forward end of the upper surface 28. It will be noted that the forefinger of the hand is in line with the vertical or longitudinal axis of the stick and the center of gravity coincides with the opening 22. This is an important feature of this invention, since by reason of the fact that the forefinger is accommodated in the opening, the hand is. fully supported, as is the weight of the persons body. It will further he noted that the center of balance is through the opening 22 in which the forefinger is supported.

With this invention the pressure, fatigue and strain normally attendant the person in need of walking aid are eliminated. The handle may be made of a hollow metal casting, as shown in FIG. 3, or any other material which has sulficient strength but which is light in weight. The length of the stick or cane can vary, depending upon the height of the person, however, the cane can be made in several conventional sizes to accommodate persons of diiferent heights. It will he noted that the fingers of the hand which envelop the rear end of the handle are not cramped. The handle is so shaped that the fingers can completely envelop the rear portion of said handle to give the body adequate support.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made from the foregoing without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A cane of the character described comprising, a stick and a handle secured to the top thereof, said handle forming the top and uppermost member of the cane and being of generally pistol-shaped configuration extending upwardly and rearwardly of said stick, said rearwardly ex tending portion adapted to be engaged by a persons hand to hold the hand in a horizontal position so that the persons Weight rests on said rearwardly extending portion, said upwardly extending portion provided With an opening which is in vertical alinement with the longitudinal axis of said stick, with said opening adapted to accommodate the forefinger of a persons hand below the plane of the hand with the remainder of the persons hand being supported and extending around the handle portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 153,407 4/1949 Weaver 108 275,100 4/1883 Weaver 135--47 1,474,292 11/1923 Renard 42-52 1,648,354 11/1927 Lied 273 2,710,190 6/1955 Schimansky 27381.4 X

FOREIGN PATENTS 184,905 9/ 1936 Switzerland.

DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examin'er.

PETER M. CAUN, Examiner. 

